Coupling for vehicles.



0. JOHNSON.

GOUPLING FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED IUNIIzs, 1911.

Patented June 24, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0. JOHNSON.

GOUPLING FOR VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 29. 1911.

Patented June 24,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5, KN @N bw PLANOCRAPH CO.. WASH:

OSCAR JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COUPLI'NG FOR VEHICLES.

T all 10h-0m, may conce/m Be it known that I, OSCAR JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the count-y of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Couplers for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates more particularly to coupling1 means used as the connecting medium for vehicles where one is to be pulled by the other, as for example in the case of locomotives and tenders for use in connection with which I have especially devised my invention, though it may be utilized in connection with other vehicles where uncoupling thereof is not frequent.

In the use of coupling-mechanism wear results especially at the pin-receiving openings therein, producing slack between the vehicles which is objectionable as it produces the pounding of the coperating chafing plates or bumpers against each other, and jerking of the vehicle being pulled. Various constructions have been provided with the idea of compensating for the wear of the pin-openings in the coupling-means and taking up the slack thus produced, but the constructions as hitherto provided present certain disadvantages which it is my desire and object to overcome.

Generally stated, my object is to provide a novel, simple and positively-operating construction of coupling-mechanism by which wear thereof may be compensated for and the slack in the mechanism produced by such wear taken up.

Another object is to provide improved means which shall operate automatically to take up the slack and hold the chaing plates, or bumpers, of the coupled vehicles together at all times.

Referring to the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a broken plan view of the under structure of a tender and the rear end of a locomotive coupled together by coupling-mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, the coupling-mechanism being shown in plan. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken at the line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken at the line 4 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken section taken at the line 5 on Fig. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led .Tune 29, 1911.

Patented June 24, 1913.

Serial No. 635,965.

and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pulleymechanism forming a part of the couplingmechanism illustrated in Fig. 1, the pulleys in this figure being shown in disassembled but related condition; and Fig. 7, a perspective view of a filler-member used in connection with the coupling-mechanism of the preceding figures.

I have illustrated my improved couplingmechanism as the coupling medium of a locomotive and a tender, as I have devised it, more particularly, for use in this connection, the tender being represented at 10 and the rear ends of the longitudinal channel girders of the locomotive, as usually constructed, at 11. Secured between the girders 11 is a coupler-head 12 which presents, as is usual in locomotive constructions, draft-bar receiving sockets 13 and 14. The tender 10 is equipped with a bearing-head 15 secured to a side of one of two central girders 1G thereof, and pivoted on the head 15 is a lever' 17 which extends at its free end through an opening 18 in the other of the girders 16, the opening. 18 being ianked by a block 19 containing an aperture which alines with the opening 18, the block 19 being secured to this girder.

Pivoted at its rear end to the lever 17, intermediate the central girders 16, as indi cated at 21, is a draft-bar 22, the forward end of which extends into the socket 13, this bar containing an elongated opening 23 through which a coupling pin 24 carried by the head 12 extends. Therear end of the bar 22, which is of yoke-shape as indicated at 25, and straddles the lever 17, carries a yoke-member 26 which extends both above and below the bar 22 and is pivoted to the latter as by a pin 27, the front end of the member 26 being provided with a yoke-extension 28 which carries a pin 29 on which horizontallydisposed pulleys 30 and 31 are journaled.

Located in the upper socket 14 is a member 32 containing in its inner end an elongated slot 33, through which the coupling pin 24 extends, and formed at its outer end with a yoke 34 between the arms of which horizontally-disposed pulleys 35 and 36 are journaled on a pin 37 carried by this yoke. Fastened to the upper end of the pin 37, as indicated at 38, is one end of a cable 39 which passes back and forth around the pulleys 30, 35, 3l and 3G as represented in Fig. (l, the free end of the cable extending rearwardly and connecting with the outer end of al lever et() fulcrun'ied on a removable pin tl carried by a yokeanember 42 secured to the outer tace of the girder 16 carrying the block 1f), the lever t0 being connected with the lever 17 through the medium of a link I3 which is pivoted to these levers as represented at 4111 and 4:5, respectively, the levers #t0 and L13 and member -flZ being provided with a plurality of openings +16, 17 and 4:8 for permitting these members to be zuljii:,-:tably connected 'together for a purpose hereinafter stated.

The lever l-O is connected at its outer end with a cable 49 which runs over a pulley .'30 journaled on a shaft 51 in a bracket secured to the girder 16 carrying the member 112, and connects, as indicated at o3, with the forward end of a piston-rod 54 carried by a pistoirhead movable in a cylinder 56 secured to the girder 16 last referred to, this cylinder connecting at its rear end with a suitable Hind-pressure supply, as for instance the main conipressed-air tank 57 usually provided on the tender, as through the medium of pressure-reducing valveequipped pipes 58. Pivo-ted to the member on the pin 51 is an arc-shaped arm 59 which projects forwardly and loosely extends, at its outer end, through an openingl 60 in the extreme outer end of the lever Ll0, a spring 61 surrounding` the end of the arm 59 and being confined thereon between the lever and a nut 62 adjustable on the projecting end of this arm. In the arrangement illustrated, the reai face of the piston is subjected to a uniform pressure of air from the tank 57, the air-pressure being regulated through the medium of a pressure-reducing valve 63 and a manually-controlled valve 64C in the pipe 5S, and the Vspring 61 is so tensioned by adjusting the nut 62 that the combined forces exerted on plates 65 and 66 on the locomotive and tender, respectively, in abutting` condition.

The draw-bar 22 in the arrangement illustrated is held at its forward end o-ut of eni gagement with. the coupling pin 24 as illusi trated in Fig. The abutting surfaces of the chang plates and 66 are usually of arc-shape as represented in Eig. 1, the arcs described thereby being of such radius that when the locomotive and tender move over a curved track the distance between the coupling-pin centers is not increased, but these chating-plates soon become worn in use to a degree which causes a leverage to be exerted y by them when the locomotive and tender are running over a curved track and the distance between coupling-pin centers thus increases. As the force tending' to draw the members 9,6 and 32 toward each other, as stated, is but slightly in excess of the maximum pull exerted by the locomotive when traveling on a straight track, when the locomotive and tender move over a curved track the leverage exerted by the chating-plates 65 and 66 overcomes this force and swings the levers 17 vand 10 to the left in Fig. 1 against the tension of the spring` 61 and the thiid,-piessure in the cylinder 56, the levers 1 7 and et() resuming their normal position when the locomotive and tender are again brought to alining condition. lt will thus be understood that the chaing-plates 65 and 66, which preferably are noiryieldingly secured to the locomotive and tender, are held at all times in abut-ting condition, and suiiicient give is afforded in the rigging,r when the locomotive and tender are moving on a curve to prevent impairment of the rigging.

ln the particular arrangement illustrated, the draft-bar 22 is designed as a safety-dew vice in the event of the breaking of the cable-riggingl described. Should the latter break or otherwise become impaired, the draft-bar F22 will automatically be brought into action and serve as the coupling inedinin for the locomotive and tender through the medium of the pins 21 and Qt. In this event.v the apparatus illustrated may be adjusted, for automatically taking up the slack in the mechanism, by adjusting the pivotal connections between the link t3 and the le ver l0 and the latter and the block 112, to a position in which the chaiiiig plates 65 and 66 abut, and the lever 17eXtends out of contact with the front walls of the openings in the girder 16 and the block 19, and the pressure in the cylinder 56 and the tension of the spring 61 regulated, to cause the forces exerted against the lever 17 and tending to swing it to the right in F 1, to be slightly greater than the maximum pull of the locomotive when traveling on a straight track, so that the chating-plates 65 and 66 will be held together at all. times, and when the locomotive and tender are rounding a curve the `lcv-er will yield sutliciently to prevent undue leverage on the rigging.

in the event of excessive wear of the pi nopenings in the coupling' devices, thus producing excessive lengthening of the couplinguliin centers, it is desirable that such wear be taken up through the medium of the leter 17, and this may be accomplished by insertingl a filler-block, such as that represented at 67, into the openings 1S and 2O against the forward walls thereof and forward of the lever 17, this block beingadapted to tit at its base 63 against the outer tace of the girder carrying the block 19, and at its angle-extension 69 into the openings referred to, bolt or rivet openings 70 in this filler-block adapting it to be secured to this girder.

It Will be understood that in so far as the draft pulley mechanism of the construction illustrated is concerned, it is not limited to use in connection with the d 'aft-bar rigging shown, as it could, if desired, be used to advantage with any other type of draftbar, or, if desired, independent of any draft-bar, as Will be manifest to those skilled in the art. It will also be understood that the stiff draft-bar mechanism, which in the particular construction illustrated is provided as a safety feat-ure, may be used alone, if desired. Furthermore, While I have shown and described both fluid-pressure and spring means for automatically taking up the slack in the mechanism, a combination of these means being desirable when eXtra large or a plurality of locomotives are used, I do not Wish to be understood as intending to limit my invention to the use of such combination of means for this purpose, as either the fluid-pressure or the spring-tensioning means may be used alone, or any other suitable means for accomplishing this purpose may be employed, as ivill be manifest to those skilled in the art, the idea being to hold the chaiing plates 65 and 66 together at all times and allovv for any leverage exerted by these plates when the locomotive and tender are rounding a curve.

As a means for preventing the production of back-pressure in the cylinder 56, substantially in excess of the pressure in the tank 57 when the piston 55 is forced against the air-pressure in the cylinder by the movement of the coupling-mechanism under the action of the chating-plates when the vehicles are rounding a curve, I provide a safety-valve 7l of any suitable construction on the rear end of the cylinder 56 so regulated that it will permit the air-pressure in the cylinder to escape when it eX- ceeds the pressure in the tank 57.

It will be understood that While l have shoivn the lever 17 connected up With the lever 40 during the operation of the pulley and cable means, such arrangement of parts is not essential to the proper operation of these pulley and cable means, as the link a?) may be omitted if desired, in Which case the lever 17 would bear against the stop provided by the forward ivall of the opening 1S in the girder 16.

vWhat I claim as reir, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with vehicles arranged one in advance of the other, of coupling-means fc-rmed of a draft-bar operatively connected at its opposite ends with said vehicles and having a loose connection with one of the latter, pulley-equipped members one of which is connected with one of said vehicles and the other of which is connected with said draft-bar, cable-means eX- tending about the pulleys on said members .l

and means for yieldingly pulling on said cable to draw said members toward each other and hold the chaiing-plates of said vehicles in abutting condition, for theV purpose set forth.

2. The combination with vehicles arranged one in advance of the other, of coupling-means formed of a lever fulcrumed on one of said vehicles, a draft-bar connected at one end with said lever and at its opposite end With the other of said vehicles, pulley-equipped spaced members one of Which is connected with said draft-bar and the other of Which is connected With one of said vehicles, cable-means connecting said members together, means operatively connected With the said cable for drawing on the latter to move said pulley-equipped members toivard each other and hold the chafing-plates on the vehicles in abutting condition and means for operatively connecting said lever with "said first-named means, for the purpose set forth.

8. rEhe combination with vehicles arranged one in advance of the other, of coupling-means formed of coupling members, and means operatively engaging with said coupling members for yieldingly holding the chafing plates of said vehicles in abutting condition comprising a cylinder adapted to be connected ivith a source of fluidpressure, a piston in said cylinder, a cable operatively connected at one end With said co-upling members and at its opposite end With said piston, and a pulley over which said cable extends operating to cause said cable to pull in the direction opposite to that in which the piston moves, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of vehicles arranged one in advance of the other, of chaiingplates on the respective vehicles, and means for holding the chafing-plates in contactcomprising a yieldingly-supported lever on one of said vehicles, an attaching-support on the other of said vehicles, a coupler connecting said support and lever, piston and cylinder mechanism connected With the vehicle on Which said lever is supported, and means connected with said piston and cylinder mechanism and With said lever for yieldingly pulling on the latter to dravv said chafing-plates together and hold them in abutting condition, said lever and piston and cylinder mechanism being connected with the vehicle on Which they are supported at opposite sides of the central line of said vehicle and at substantially the same distance from said central line.

5. The combination with vehicles arranged one in advance el the other, o'lx coupling-menus formed of members operatively connected, respectively, with said vehicles7 eahledneans extending from one of said members to the other thereof and connecting said members together, :L lerer fulerumed on one of said vehicles :uid operatively Connected with said Cable, piston-ancheylinder mechanism on one of said Vehicles operal tively connected with said lever for pulling on said cable for drawing said Lmembers 13oward yeach other for holding the chillingplates of the Vehicles in abutting Condition, and spring-means operatively engaging with said lever for supplementing the action of said piston-and-eylincler mechanism.

OSCAR JOHNSON. In presence 0f- A. U. THORIEU, R. A. Soi-IAEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained fol` ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. Gi 

